1. Field of the Invention.
The invention in general relates to illuminated lever position indicators and more particularly to an improved floor mounted automotive gearshift lever position indicator.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Lever position indicators are used in many applications in appliances and machines. One such application is to indicate the position of the gearshift lever in an automobile. Automotive gearshift lever position indicators are generally illuminated so that the indicator is visible at night. The illumination also may enhance the viewability of the indicator in day light. Generally such indications comprise a set of indicia colored one color, such as white, and an indicating arm colored another color, such as red, and a mechanism connected to the gearshift linkage aligning the indicating arm with the appropriate indicia indicating the position of the shift lever. The indicia and arm are often lighted by a single bulb; however, since the indicia are distributed over a four to six inch range, the lighting is visibly brighter for some indicia than others. This makes viewing difficult, since the eye generally does not adjust as fast as a gearshift moves. It also is not aesthetically pleasing. In some premium automobiles the indicia and arm may be more uniformly lighted. However, these have used a separate light, such as in an electro-luminescent panel, for each indicia and to light the indicator in its different positions. This is considerably more expensive than the single-light indicators, and also more prone to failure because of the many parts.